Tag: stigma

What’s the first thing comes to mind when someone one mentions mental health? Maybe you don’t believe it a real thing or maybe you struggle with mental health and am looking for information.

Well, I am a person that has had experience that mental health issues. I have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, eating disorder and BPD. I started really struggling mental health issues when I was about 15 years old.

I struggle for about a year before reaching out for help, the first time I reached out I got in contact via email with a service called kids helpline. From there I have seen many different psychologists over the years. Right up until the middle of last year where I ended up in the mental health unit in my local hospital.

Treatment for mental health can be scary because a lot of people don’t know what to expect but while sometimes it can be scary it can also be the best thing you could for yourself. I know certain types of treatment didn’t work for me but that’s okay it a personal thing.

I first became aware of mental health issues when I was about 12 years old even though looking back at it now I struggled with anxiety from the age of 10. My mental health problems have and still cause a lot of problems on day to day basis, some days I can’t even get out of bed and it makes doing anything just that little bit harder.

For anyone that has struggled with any type of mental health issue in the past, I am sure that you will know how much stigma is around getting treatment or even just struggling. People are not always accepting of what they can’t see and unfortunately with mental health issues you usually can’t see them.

Some people just don’t get it or they are scared of people with these problems because they are portrayed as scary and unpredictable, but the truth is that the people I have met that struggled with mental health problem are usually some of the nicest people. With some of the illness like anxiety, depression and eating disorders it thought that it just a cry for attention. I can’t express it enough that it not, going through something like that is painful and not easy to come out of. Slowly people are breaking down the stigma by opening up about how they struggle and that is amazing.

If you are struggling with any mental health problems I encourage you to reach out to a family member or close friend, I know it scary and sometimes people are not always very nice but if you find the right person to tell they will help you. If you’re too scared to reach out to a family or close friend do what I did and get in contact with a helpline, I will leave a list of helplines at the end of this post. You are not alone and chances are people have come out the other side of similar situations and been okay.

A list of some helplines in Australia there are many more and each country has there own!

Lifeline 13 11 14

Kids helpline 1800 55 1800

Beyond blue 1300 22 4636

Let me know in the comments below when did you first become aware of mental health?